Northvale man hit with stray bullet in leg while sitting on back deck

NORTHVALE — Borough police are stumped after a 53-year-old man was shot in the left leg Thursday evening by a stray bullet while sitting on his back deck with his father.

The man, whose name authorities declined to release, called police around 8:15 p.m. and thought he’d been hit by a BB pellet, Police Chief Vincent St. Angelo said. He just wanted to report the incident to police but didn’t feel the need to seek medical attention. He had put a bandage on his leg when officers arrived.

“He was walking around like it was something very minor,” St. Angelo said.

But the wound looked more significant, St. Angelo said, and he was transported to Hackensack University Medical Center at Pascack Valley in Westwood with non-life threatening injuries. The bullet, which was likely fired from a real gun, was still lodged in his leg.

“It appeared to be a very small caliber bullet, probably a .22 round,” St. Angelo said.

The chief believed he had been admitted to the hospital Thursday night, but was not sure if he had been released Friday morning.

Northvale police contacted the county prosecutor’s office and the sheriff’s department and canvassed the neighborhood. They plan to interview residents again and expand their search.

“Right now we think it was an accidental discharge,” St. Angelo said, who hopes anyone involved will come forward.

There’s no clear path from the street to the deck, he said, and the bullet may have been fired into the air and come back down and hit the victim. The victim told police he heard a loud bang and felt a sting in his leg.

“We’re kind of stumped,” St. Angelo said. “We’ve never had something like this before.”

Anyone with information should call the Northvale police at 201-768-5900.

Northvale man hit with stray bullet in leg while sitting on back deck

NORTHVALE — Borough police are stumped after a 53-year-old man was shot in the left leg Thursday evening by a stray bullet while sitting on his back deck with his father.

The man, whose name authorities declined to release, called police around 8:15 p.m. and thought he’d been hit by a BB pellet, Police Chief Vincent St. Angelo said. He just wanted to report the incident to police but didn’t feel the need to seek medical attention. He had put a bandage on his leg when officers arrived.

“He was walking around like it was something very minor,” St. Angelo said.

But the wound looked more significant, St. Angelo said, and he was transported to Hackensack University Medical Center at Pascack Valley in Westwood with non-life threatening injuries. The bullet, which was likely fired from a real gun, was still lodged in his leg.

“It appeared to be a very small caliber bullet, probably a .22 round,” St. Angelo said.

The chief believed he had been admitted to the hospital Thursday night, but was not sure if he had been released Friday morning.

Northvale police contacted the county prosecutor’s office and the sheriff’s department and canvassed the neighborhood. They plan to interview residents again and expand their search.

“Right now we think it was an accidental discharge,” St. Angelo said, who hopes anyone involved will come forward.

There’s no clear path from the street to the deck, he said, and the bullet may have been fired into the air and come back down and hit the victim. The victim told police he heard a loud bang and felt a sting in his leg.

“We’re kind of stumped,” St. Angelo said. “We’ve never had something like this before.”

Anyone with information should call the Northvale police at 201-768-5900.